DEMATEL Technique: A Structured Analysis to Determine the Key Drivers Influencing Entrepreneurial Activities among Tribes of Mishmi Hills
Weijimlu Tayang
ICAR-ATARI, Zone-VI, Guwahati, Assam, India.
M. Nirmala Devi *
Rice Research Station, Tirur, Tamil Nadu, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: This study identified the key factors driving entrepreneurial activities.
Study Design: The study applied a comprehensive technique to identify the factors, followed by the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory method for decision-making.
Place and Duration of Study: Expert assessments covering 2022 to 2024 were recorded to understand the interrelationships among the identified factors for farmers in the Mishmi Hills, specifically in the Dibang Valley and Anjaw districts of Arunachal Pradesh, India, within the agricultural and allied sectors.
Methodology: The analytical technique was used to determine the factors influencing farmers’ entrepreneurial activities in the agricultural and allied sectors. To analyse the relationships among the factors and identify those that most strongly influence farmers’ entrepreneurial action (EA), the DEMATEL method was implemented in four steps: computing the average matrix, normalising the direct-relation matrix, computing the total-relation matrix (TRM), and computing the threshold value.
Results: The study identified gender as the principal causal factor and entrepreneurial passion as the primary effect factor, suggesting that farmers’ gender substantially influences entrepreneurial action in the Mishmi Hills. Gender had the most substantial effect on farmers’ entrepreneurial passion. The study also found that social support and financial knowledge carried the greatest weights, highlighting their important roles in decisions to pursue entrepreneurial ventures in these sectors.
Conclusion: Understanding the factors that influence entrepreneurial action may contribute to economic development by identifying strengths and weaknesses, informing tailored training programmes, directing targeted resources, and supporting inclusive policies and programmes for farmers from different socio-economic backgrounds.
Keywords: Agricultural entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Action, Mishmi Hills, DEMATEL.